Farmers' Almanac no longer in Maine city's future

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) -- The Farmers' Almanac predicts it will no longer be printed in Lewiston, Maine.

The family-owned Geiger Bros. publishing company says it plans to sell its manufacturing operations in the city.

Geiger Bros. says it will keep producing annual editions of the nearly 200-year-old almanac, which contains long-term weather forecasts. But it says "someone else will do the manufacturing."

Executive vice president Peter Geiger tells WMTW-TV (http://bit.ly/Uj4fF5) his company has about 400 employees and the end of its printing and binding operations could cost 75 jobs. He says workers were notified Tuesday.

Geiger's main business is promotional items such as those with logos on them. It has the manufacturing done elsewhere.

It says by spring it also will stop printing calendars, pocket diaries and planners because demand has dropped as consumers have turned to computers and hand-held devices.